Paint Brushes and Colored Pencils
by Precischan
Summary: Just a short story about some certain Neopet siblings talking about what sort of paintbrushes they'd like to see...


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Okay, this is just a shortfic idea I came up with. It's just a couple of Neopets discussing what they might like to be painted as someday, if they ever got the chance. I don't own Neopets, just my trio of cute pets. So don't even think about trying to sue me.

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Oh, in case you've seen the start of my soon-to-be multi-chapter fanfic, "Hiko's Journey," this is set before that, okay? Just so there's no confusion…

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It was a surprisingly quiet and peaceful afternoon for the three siblings Hiko, Yukiko and Melodi that particular day. For once, the feisty skunk Usul was not clamoring to go off to either training or the Battledome, instead occupying herself with a set of colored pencils and some paper. Her two younger sisters were enjoying the calm: Yukiko had curled up with some new book in a corner while Melodi was playing something or another with her collection of plushies.

However, nothing good can ever last long, and soon the little striped Shoyru was casting curious glances over in Hiko's direction, wondering just what her sister was working on so intently. Slipping a bookmark in to mark her place, she picked up her book and walked over to sit beside the skunk Usul, who didn't appear to notice her approach. Hiko was completely absorbed in whatever she was drawing, and that fact piqued Yukiko's curiosity all the more.

Yukiko glanced over her sister's shoulder, trying to get a good look at what the skunk Usul was working on. It didn't take her long to see that Hiko was sketching an Usul, though a rather unique one…

The Usul on the paper had all of the familiar characteristics of the breed: sparkling eyes, a cute face, and long, bushy tail. However, this particular Usul's tail was completely aflame, flaring out behind the neopet in bright hues of crimson, orange and yellow. The typically soft and fluffy mane around the Usul's chest was also swirling with these blazing colors, while the rest of its furry body was ash gray and coal black. The ribbons tied on its tail and ears were bright crimson, matching the flames that seemed to arc and curl round its form, even on the static piece of paper.

"…Let me guess… that's your idea of what a Fire Usul would look like?" Yukiko commented.

Hiko nodded mute affirmation, though it didn't take a genius to figure out what the drawing depicted. She continued to work on her sketch, brightening the flames that highlighted the Usul's body.

"Don't you like being a Skunk Usul…?" the Shoyru queried after a pause, bright blue eyes fixed on her sister in concern. "I mean, does it bother you for some reason…?"

"No, no, I'm fine with this look," Hiko replied quickly, looking over at Yukiko in surprise. "If I didn't like it, I never would have chosen it in the first place, and would still be a regular red Usul. I happen to like this style. But that doesn't mean that I can't think of other ways I'd like to like, does it?"

"…No, I suppose it doesn't."

The Shoyru sat back down beside the Usul and turned her eyes back to her book. Hiko studied her drawing for a moment, then suddenly looked over at her sister.

"…Hey, Yukiko…"

"…What is it?"

"I was just wondering… if you could create any type of paintbrush and use it on yourself, what would it be?"

"…Huh?" Yukiko stared at her sister and blinked, confused. "But I like being striped…"

"I know, I know, that's why you chose that at the Rainbow Fountain, the same way I chose to be painted skunk," the Usul replied patiently, a slight smile on her face. "But, really, sis… What I mean is, if you could create a new type of paintbrush – anything you wanted, anything at all – what would it be? And what would you look like once you used it on yourself?"

"Ahhh…"

The little Shoyru bowed her head, eyes closed, as she pondered her sister's question. If she could be anything at all… After a few moments, she looked back over at Hiko. The skunk Usul was watching her expectantly, waiting to hear what she came up with.

"…So?" she prompted, eyeing her slightly younger sister.

"…Well… I suppose… it would be nice to have a more… pastel shade…"

Hiko blinked, disbelief soon replacing her initial confusion.

"What… Pastel?!?"

Yukiko's cheeks flushed rose for a moment, but she went on, "Yes… I'm not really fond of dark colors, and a nice shade of, say, robin's egg blue or maybe a pink or even mint green… something not too glaring or hard on the eyes…"

Hiko gaped at her sister, scarcely able to believe what she was hearing.

"…If that's the case, why don't you just paint yourself white, for crying out loud?" she mumbled shortly, shaking her head.

"Well, to my knowledge, there isn't a way for Shoyrus to paint themselves white yet, and besides, I do enjoy a little color… just not when it's so bright and shocking that it hurts to just look at it…"

"…You know what, Yuki-chan?"

"…What?"

"…You can be so boring sometimes."

"Why, thank you, dear sister," Yukiko replied sarcastically, though the smile on her face as she said this betrayed the fact that she wasn't nearly as upset or offended as she attempted to make herself sound.

"Take me for example," Hiko went on, suddenly hopping to her feet and grinning, clenching one paw in front of her face. "If I could make any kind of paintbrush I wanted, I'd create one that would make anyone it painted look like a real hero, just like the ones in video games!"

"…Would you, now?" asked Yukiko with a slight smile on her face. "Somehow, I'm not surprised…"

"Yeah, just think of it! It would make you look like a brave and fearless warrior, like a knight dressed in shining armor with a big sword! …Or maybe, more like a traveling outfit… you know what I mean, right? The tunic, the cloak, the backpack… the cool weapon…"

"…Uh huh."

"…Or, maybe I'd make a pirate paintbrush!" the Usul continued, now seriously lost in her fantasies. "…Yeah, that'd be cool, too! I could get the bandanna and the eyepatch (though I don't wanna lose an eye, so that'd be fake) and the pegleg… No, wait, maybe not the wooden leg thing, I don't know how fast I could run with one of those… Oh, oh, and a parrot! …Or would I have to find a Pteri instead, and do you think one would be willing to try and sit on my shoulder…?"

Hiko paused, then turned to face the Shoyru, looking suddenly confused and thoughtful.

"…Hey, why _isn't_ there a Pirate Paint Brush, anyway?"

"…I don't have a clue," admitted, Yukiko, shrugging. "…Most of the other special worlds appear to have one of their own… Faerieland has the Faerie brush; Terror Mountain has Christmas; the Lost Desert has the Desert design; Haunted Woods has Halloween; and I suppose the Stone brush could be for Tyrannia and the Robot pets could be for the Space Station… does Mystery Island have one?"

"…Dunno…" Hiko sat back down beside Yukiko and stretched. "…Hey, have you ever noticed how the Speckled Usul's yellow, red and brown instead of green and white like other Neopets painted by the same brush…?"

"…Yes… that is rather strange…"

"Yeah, go fig."

They sat there in silence for a while, and then Hiko picked up her sketch of a Fire Usul and gazed at it. Then she looked down at herself, and smiled.

"…Well, right now, I happen to like what I look like just fine, don't you?" the skunk Usul commented, glancing over at the striped Shoyru.

"Yes, you're right," Yukiko replied, returning her sister's smile. 

"…Hey, Melodi, what about you?" Hiko called over to their baby sister, seeing the blue Cybunny playing a few feet away. "If you could create a new paintbrush and use it on yourself, what would you want to be?"

Melodi looked over at her sisters, blinked her huge rose eyes once, and grinned.

"Plushie!" she chirped brightly, hugging the nearest of her dolls to her chest as she spoke.

Hiko promptly face-faulted while Yukiko attempted in vain to stifle a giggle.

"Why do I get the feeling I shouldn't be surprised…?"


End file.
